What time is it? Watches and horology

Mid 90's Rolex datejust, ladies, two tone... What should I be looking for?

Still searching for my wife's 40th gift watch. A 1978 gold-ish Rolex is harder to find. Maybe a 90s one is better as it'll be a daily wear? Hence the search for a two tone, champagne face datejust. Actually the 36mm or the ladies 26mm would be fine.

I'm just getting way too confused looking online so might check out some real stores here in Sydney. Budget of $5000 seems likely.

Definitely go for brick and mortar, otherwise buy from a reputable person on a local forum. You definitely want to be looking them in the eye spending that kind of money. It's worth paying the premium imo

You could have a worse approach than Watchfinder and haggle.

Hmm, that confirms my instinct. It's also the added pressure of choosing just the right one...

Have had an itch that I can’t scratch for a Seamaster 300 MC, and for something cheap I can wear daily that I really don’t give a fuck about scratching.

A challenger appears...

She really needs to try some on to get a sense of size. 26mm is fine if she's dainty and wants something that is more akin to a bracelet, but it's super hard to tell the time on.

Unless you're buying a fairly recent and well looked after / serviced model it won't be waterproof.

You could/should also look at the mid-sized 30mm datejust - rare but utterly beautiful if you find the right one. Check out this tapestry radial dial 30mm I got for my gf, dated 1985 so sapphire glass rather than plexi. All steel but much rarer than the 26mm (which is a rather unloved size).

(Ref 68240)

Unless you're looking at very specific models, 70's-90's steel & gold DJs are plentiful and you probably shouldn't expect to pay a significant premium over steel. Exceptions for rose gold or unusual dial layouts. Watch out for repainted / refinished dials. Most dealers will happily sell you a redial without mentioning it. Make sure any bill of sale states in writing that the actual dial finish (not just the dial itself) is original. If you have doubts, take a high res closeup photo of the dial face on and ask an opinion somewhere where watch nerds hang out. Also watch out for heavily polished cases as they'll have lost a lot of the character. Finally, the jubilee bracelet is a good tell. If it's got a lot of flex (it should have quite a lot anyway) then it's already had a lot of wear. The condition of everything should match - a knackered bracelet on an almost new looking watch should be a red flag.

Price wise it depends what you're going for. $5000 should be more than ample unless the dealer is taking the piss.

Excellent, thanks @freddo

That all makes sense. I have found a few mid size and wasn't sure if it was just inaccurate measures! I think 30mm would be perfect as she likes my dad's omega Deville at 34 mm.

I'm also cautious that a 36mm datejust might be just that bit too big.

I guess I'll have to go shopping with her, may ruin the surprise a little but it's important to get right!

Thanks

It’s quite possible she’ll prefer a new (perhaps all steel on a jubilee) DJ over a vintage one. Waterproofing is a big issue, she’ll have to be careful washing her hands or even moving between outdoors when it’s hot and humid to a cool air conditioned office which can cause condensation inside the case. Obviously the clasp, movement and accuracy will be far improved. I’ve heard that the buying experience is quite nice too.

Also, if you're not a watch person, you'd simply like a new one rather than an old one unless its ultra special.

And if you are a watch person, some would only really like a vintage watch if it was a vintage watch they would like in the first place.

As is with everything.

Was very tempted by this on ebay

Didn't really know enough about it to spend £500 on though so missed out

@TRA So maybe save for the worst, hope for the best (in terms of budget), and give her the gift of that experience of buying “whatever she wants” ... I recommend calling ahead wherever you go and prepping them of your budget so they navigate toward the correct price range without needing to say it.

Hmm, that's a good thought too. Hadn't considered that aspect.

Great advice.

This too

Someone is outbidding me on shit watches on ebay. Quartz as well!!!!

Sorry... Shit quartz is my thing.

Forgot to check back and missed on both the LL Bean field watch and the Gore bikewear thing.

The ‘homage’ arrived this morning, pleasantly surprised by it being blue, not black like I thought it was, and how sturdy it feels (for a knock-off).
Sapphire on both sides, case is nicely brushed, ceramic bezel. I swapped the strap for something nicer but actually the deployment clasp that came with it is pretty good, better than some of the cheap ones I’ve seen.
Only negatives are the glass refracts the edges a bit harshly and the lume isn’t painted, it seems like it’s windowed.

But for £80 I’m not moaning!

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Really not a fan of that bezel, but of everything else about it. Very nice. Is it all screwdown? Will it survive washing hands or rain?

Many people see that glass refraction as desirable. Me included, on the right watch and done well.

@pdlouche The crown is screwdown, yeah, and it claims water resistance of 5ATM. I doubt that, but it certainly seems solidly built enough to take most weather and aggressive hand washing.

@Stonehedge I think I’ve got used to looking at smooth domed glass. Either way, it’s ok for what it cost

I like it!

What a knockoff! Lol

I like it too

How much. #frygif